Device for driving a fin-shaped propeller



.QOct. l, 1929. w. MEINDERSMA 1,729,676

DEVICE FOR DRIVING A FIN SHAPED PROPELLER Filed Sept. 10, 1927' Inventor;

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Patented Got. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIGGER MEINDERSMA, OF WAS SENAAR, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR TO FINDRIVEN SYNDICAA'I, OF 1THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS, A SYNDICATE OF THE NETHERLANDS DEVICE FOR DRIVING A FIN-SHAPED PROPELLER Application filed September 10, 1927, Serial No. 218,839, and in the Netherlands September 13, 1926.

The present invention relates to a device for driving a fin-shaped propeller which, besides eflecting a driving action, causes such a controlling action to take place that the propeller makes half a revolution, during which the aXis of rotation around which the said half revolution is effected describes a conical surface while, per revolution of the driving members, the controlling members effect one complete swinging of the propeller,

in consequence of which the propeller performs the said movement twice.

Devices for effecting these movements are known already, but they have the drawback, however, that both the controlling and driving members engage the propeller at two points only, which makes the construction very complicated and in consequence of which .the leverage of the controlling members is very small; or else the controlling members are always completely out of the path of the driving members, so that the controlling members have to be guided by a bearing having a large diameter, the leverage of the :5 driving members having to be smaller than that of the controlling members.

This invention relates to a device in which the said drawbacks have been removed.

According to the invention the fin-shaped propeller is rotatably supported by the driving and controlling members at at least three points, which points are not arranged in the same line, and the propeller, or the parts he longing to the same, is driven by means of a supporting member rotated about a stationary axis, whereby at the same time the swinging movement is imparted to the propeller, or the parts belonging to it, by means of a controlling member rotatable about a movable or adjustable axis, this controlling member always being completely or partly within the path of the driving member.

The advantage of this construction is that the points at which the fin-shaped propeller is driven and controlled are located more favourably.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of an embodiment in which the propeller is pivotally connected with the driving and controlling members at four points, any three of which are disalined; the four points being located in the vertical plane which intersect-s the propeller at the apex of the conical surface described, and being guided two-by-two along circular paths.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line IIII, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sect-ion of an embodiment in which the driving shaft is fitted over the steering or controlling shaft, and Fig. 4 is a view showing a slightly-modified detail.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a modification of the Fig. 3 construction.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an embodiment in which the steering shaft is fitted over the driving shaft.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the propeller (more properly, the shaft thereof), provided with a tumbler 2 having two pairs of corresponding trunnions or journals 3, 3 and 4, 4. The journals 4, 4 are engaged in bearings formed in the inner ring 5 of a ball-bearing, which ring encircles said journals; while the journals 3, 3 are likewise encircled, since they are engaged in bearings provided in the two prongs of a fork 7 that forms part of a shaft 8. The inner ring of the ball-bearing is indicated at 6.

In consequence, the propeller (or its shaft) has a pivotal connection at two points provided by the ournals 4, 4 with the ring 5, and at two other points provided by the journals 3, 3 with the fork 7 and it will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that no three of these four points are disposed in line. Now, the ring 5 is designed to be driven positively, as subsequently stated, and the shaft 8 which car ries the fork 7 is designed to be used as a controlling or steering member or device, so that the propeller may, therefore, be regarded as having a pivotal connection at at least three points (four, in the construction illustrated) with the driving and controlling or steering members, and such phraseology will be adopted in the appended claims. This explanation will apply equally to the pairs of journals comprised in the modified constructions described hereinafter.

The device operates as follows: The outer ring 6 of the ball-bearing is fixed, whereas the inner ring is driven, for instance by means of a rope pulley 9. In this way the journals 4, 4 are rotated in a circle. This causes the tumbler 2 to rotate likewise, in con- ,sequence of which the propeller 1 is rotated also. At the same time the shaft 8, the socalled controlling or steering shaft, is kept in a predetermined position, in such a way that it is still allowed to rotate around its axis, for example in a bearing 10. By keeping this shaft 8 in a predetermined position, the journals 3, 3 are caused to roll in a plane at an angle to the plane in which the journals 4, 4 roll, such angle depending upon the position of said shaft.

When therefore the axes of the propeller 1 and the controlling shaft 8 are in alignment, the fin-shaped propeller makes a single revolution around its axis and does not exert a propelling force. In case, however, one axis is disposed at an angle to the other, a propelling force is exerted which can be directed as desired (it may also be reversed completely) by bringing the controlling shaft 8 into a given position.

According to the embodiment given in Fig. 3 the ournals 14, 14 are arranged in the edge 15 of a bush 16 which is rigidly arranged around the hollow driving shaft 17. The steering shaft 18 is extended through the bore of the driving shaft 17, and has an arm or crank member 19 angularly connected to it for guiding an auxiliary shaft 20 provided with a fork 21, the prongs of which are pivotally fixed on the journals 13, 13.

According to this'embodiment, the auxiliary shaft 20, in its movement, is caused by the guide piece 19 to describe a conical surface. This can be avoided by substituting for the guide piece 19 a guide bush 31 or the like (according to Fig. 4) which is pivotally connected to the steering shaft 18 by means of a link 32 or the like so that by forcing said steering shaft to move endwise in either direction and turning it about its own axis, the auxiliary shaft 20 can be moved along the entire ball-sector.

The embodiment'of Fig. 5icorresponds with that of Figs. 3 and 4 except as regards the controlling members, comprising in this case an inclined crank, guide piece or the like 22, rigidly connected to the steering shaft 18. A

being fixed, the journals 25, are compelled to move in a plane disposed at an angle to the first mentioned plane, thus complying with the requirements of the propeller movement.

According to the embodiment of Fig. 6, the

driving shaft 26 is arranged in the bore of the hollow steering shaft 27, the latter carrying an inclined guide 33, over .which the guide piece 31 can move. This guide piece guides the propeller journals 30, 30 corresponding with the journals 13, 13 of the embodiment according to Fig. 3. The driving shaft 26 is provided with two upwardly-curved arms 28 carrying the journals 29, 29, by which two points of the propeller are driven through a circular path in a plane at right angles to the axis of the driving shaft 26.

I claim:

1. A combined driving and controlling mechanism, comprising a driving device rotatable about a stationary axis; a controlling device correlated therewith and including a member which has an adjustable axis of rotation and which always remains at least partly encircled by the driving device; and a tin-shaped propeller pivotally connected at at least three disalined points to said driving and controlling devices, whereby, during each complete revolution of the driving device, the propeller is caused to make a complete oscillation with respect to said driving device by the controlling device.

2. A combined driving and controlling mechanism according to claim 1, in which the propeller is pivotally connected at two opposite points to the driving device and at two other opposite points to the member on the controlling device, the line connecting the first two points being disposed at an angle to that connecting the second two points.

3. A combined driving and controlling mechanism, comprising interfitted driving and steering shafts, the driving shaft being rotatable about a stationary axis, and the steering shaft havin associated with it an auxiliary member which has an adjustable axis of rotation; and a fin-sha ed propeller pivotally connected at at least three disalined points with said driving shaft and said auxiliary member, whereby, during each complete revolution of the driving shaft, the propeller is caused to make a complete oscillation with respect to said driving shaft by the controlling shaft.

4. A combined driving and controlling mechanism, according to claim 3, in which the driving shaft fits inside the steering shaft; and in which the auxiliary member of the steering shaft is inclined to the axis of that shaft.

5. A combined driving and controlling mechanism, according to claim 3, in which the driving shaft fits inside the steering shaft and is provided with two curved external arms whereto the propeller is pivotally connected; and in which the auxiliary member of the steering shaft is inclined to the azzis of that shaft and always remains at least partially spanned by said arms.

6. A combined driving and controlling mechanism, according to claim 1, in which the propeller is pivotally connected at two opposite points to the driving device and at two other opposite points to the member on the controlling device, the line connecting the first two points being perpendicular to that connecting the second two points.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WIGGER MEINDERSMA. 

